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April 25, 2014

Students and Alumni Honored for Academic Excellence and Service

The College of Social Sciences Honors Convocation and Awards Lunch is an annual event
that brings the college together to acknowledge the outstanding achievements in teaching,
research, and University service. Students and alumni from the Mexican American Studies
Department were well represented at this year's event.

Changing the World Together: Social Entrepreneurship and Community Engagement Alumnus
Award

Alums Ana Lilia Soto, Rosana Alvarez, and Marlene Chavez

SJSU Alumni Association Scholarship

Angelina Loyola

Inez & Donald Burdick Scholarship

Gabriel Rodriguez

COSS Salzburg Scholars

Gabriel Rodriguez

COSS Dean's Study Abroad Scholarship

Yesenia Ramos

February 27th, 2014

Mexican American Studies welcomes new faculty member to San Jose State University

MAS Familia,

We are excited to announce that Dr. Joshua Troncoso has accepted an offer to join
the MAS faculty as an Assistant Professor beginning Fall of 2014.

Dr. Troncoso earned his doctorate from UC Berkeley's Comparative Ethnic Studies Department
in 2012. His research focuses on labor economics and globalization and he will be
developing the Policy Studies area of the Master's Program, while also contributing
to our efforts to develop an undergraduate major.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Troncoso. We look forward to inviting him to upcoming
events this semester to give you all the chance to meet him if possible.

February 13, 2014

Each year SJSU selects four outstanding professors for their teaching excellence,
scholarship, and service. We are very happy that Dr. Julia Curry Rodriguez is among
this years honorees. Dr. Curry Rodriguez has long dedicated herself to providing guidance
to students from disadvantaged backgrounds with navigating their academic journey.
Several of our undergraduate students who have worked with her have gone of to pursue
graduate studies. In addition, MA students in our graduate program who she has served
as adviser for have also gone on to pursue their PhD. This year she is being recognized
in particular for her advocacy and activism on behalf of undocumented students. Read more....

January 2014

Students on this campus know him as professor Juarez but many others also know him
as actor, writer, director, producer and co-founder of Baktun 12, which incorporates “Chicano-flavored
street theatre, poetry and hip-hop” with “urban politics… and guerrilla theatre.”
(Ryce, 2014). Read more of Walter Ryce's article about how Xago uses interviews to provide an alternative narrative to the violent
and negative stereotypes of Mexican Americans living in East Salinas.

Fall and Spring 2013

College of Social Sciences highlights Mexican American Studies faculty, students,
and staff in their newsletter.

Twice a year the College of Social Sciences publishes its newsletter, Together. The newsletter's goal is to keep the CoSS community updated on the accomplishments
of the college's faculty, students, staff, and alumni.

In the Fall 2013 edition, our department Chair, Marcos Pizarro and two of our graduate
students Angelina Loyola and Carlos Navarette were featured. Read about how one class transformed the lives of these two students.

Transforming lives does not just happen in the classroom, sometimes it occurs over
a cup of coffee. The Spring 2013 newsletter features our Department Coordinator,
Erlinda Yañez. Learn about how Mexican American Studies professors pushed and motivated her to pursue
her dreams of finishing her bachelors degree.

March 15, 2011,

Mas graduate student, Alonzo Campos is published in the Davis Enterprise

Mexican American studies graduate student, Alonzo Campos' op-ed titled, "Fear and
Learning in Davis schools" was published in the Davis Enterprise newspaper. Campos'
op-ed discusses an article published by the Davis Enterprise titled “South Davis parents
sound off on schools”and his experience as a Latino student in Davis. Campos notes
that, "Linking low performance to student discipline also suggests that administration
and community members point fingers at low-performing students instead of at the system.

Davis parents who do not want their student to learn with low-performing, low-income
students suggests that Latina/o students cannot achieve high academic performance,
and will continue only to perpetuate the negative views of low-income, low-performing
students. The school board needs to explore and acknowledge the implications of this."
To Read Campos' op-ed go to the Davis Enterprise website.

November 18, 2011,

MAS Graduate Student, Felipe Ponce is published in San Francisco Bay View

Mexican American Studies graduate student, Felipe Ponce's op-ed titled, "A chance
for redemption" was published in the San Francisco Bay View: National Black Newspaper.
Ponce's op-ed discusses Senate Bill 9, a bill introduced to the California Legislature
that would change whether youth should be sentenced to life without parole (LWOP).
Ponce says that SB 9 would "provide these young offenders with the opportunity to
show remorse – and to demonstrate that they truly have been rehabilitated. These youth
will only be considered for release if they have served a minimum of 25 years in prison".
To read Ponce's op-ed go to the SF Bay View website.

November 22, 2011,

MAS Undergraduate Student, Daniel Guzman is Highlighted in SJSU Today

Daniel Guzman is one of 27 McNair Scholars highlighted in the program’s most recent
newsletter for his research on the common stereotypes associated with being an undocumented
immigrant. Guzman is an undergraduate student at SJSU minoring in Mexican American
Studies. Read more about him and his work at SJSU Today.